Let’s face it — we’re all constantly watching for the next great software tool, service, or best practice that we believe will transform what we do today into something extraordinary. I’m reminded of the many Supply Chain Directors I’ve worked with over the past 33 years (yep, I’ve been around that long) who were convinced that once the new Materials Management, Purchasing, or ERP system was implemented, everything would work like magic. And then those systems went live…and what happened? They turned out to be the same transactional systems they’d always been. Sure, they came with new features, bells and whistles, and tighter integration with accounting and financial systems — but at their core, they still deliver what they always have: transactional metadata, and not much more.
The good news is that you can tap into this wealth of data quickly and consistently to do things that will greatly benefit your healthcare organization’s bottom line on a consistent basis. These new systems give you much more organization to your data than ever before, but you still need to take some steps to make this happen which I have outlined below.
- Identify the End Results Are You Looking For – Are you focused on benchmarking, cost savings, utilization management, departmental performance, product insights, or something else? You’re in a unique position — you already have the detailed data; it simply needs to be shaped into the right reporting format. The first step is deciding which direction you want to pursue. Once that’s clear, you can begin assembling the right people to help turn that vision into reality.
- Make Sure You Have All the Pieces to the Puzzle with Your Data – You may already have purchase order and inventory history in your ERP system, but what additional data is required to support your broader goals? For example, do you need statistics from Epic or Cerner to enable deeper benchmarking or utilization management? Start by listing what you have, plug the data into a simple spreadsheet, and test whether it tells the story you need. This exercise will quickly reveal which additional data elements are required to bring your vision to life.
- Your New Reporting Must Be Database Driven – It’s okay to mockup working models of your original design that you want to have for your new reporting with your meta data but that is as far as it should go. Yes, it will work for a while but inevitably you can only put so much data in spreadsheets, and if you are a health system you are going to have a lot of data that needs to be rolled up. I would suggest that you start with a database – even if it is something like MS Access. Then, you can move on to something more robust like SQL if your reporting vision is panning out.
- You are Going to Need IT Gurus – While it’s helpful to build initial reports on your own, today’s environment makes it unrealistic to be both a Supply Chain/Value Analysis Analyst and a full-scale programmer. Identify the IT specialists who are assigned to support your department and understand the process for engaging them on your project. This is where you can share your Excel mockups and ask how to elevate them to the next level. Most organizations already have licensed reporting and visualization tools that IT can leverage to turn your concepts into solutions.
Why are my steps steering you towards creating a reporting system separate from your existing systems? Because that is what all the solution providers do with your data – we create parallel systems that we then enhance with our own best practice methodologies that create the savings magic for you. For you to do the same, you need to move towards the same direction and create your own separate database that includes your meta data and then enhance it to suit your vision for the future.
There are diamonds hiding in your own back yard with price savings and savings beyond price, but you need to have your own system to use the latest best-practice strategies to identify these savings opportunities. Remember, your key customers and stakeholders are going to want proof that a savings opportunity is real. By leveraging a system built in partnership with your own IT department, you can deliver not only the savings, but the evidence behind them. Start turning your vision into reality today.
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